Chapter138:

Chapter 138 XENOIS I woke up with my head pounding and the metallic taste of blood in my mouth. My vision swam as I tried to focus on my surroundings—concrete floor, cinder block walls, a single bare bulb hanging from the ceiling. A basement, maybe. Or a warehouse. Definitely not anywhere I wanted to be. I tried to move and realized my hands were zip-tied behind me to a metal chair. My ankles were similarly bound to the chair legs. Professional work—tight enough to restrict movement without cutting off circulation completely. Whoever had grabbed me knew what they were doing. The last thing I remembered was leaving Bennett's apartment around four AM, getting into my car, starting the drive home. And then... nothing. A gap in my memory that probably corresponded to getting knocked unconscious. Fuck. I tested the zip ties, pulling against them experimentally. They held firm, cutting into my wrists. The chair was bolted to the floor—I could feel it when I tried to rock it. Whoever set this